To Battery Park and Beyond...

The past few weeks have truly come together for me.Saturday, June 26, I slept in through practice because of a late night in the East Village with my dear friend Mary.  At 11AM, I knew it was now or never.  I stepped out of my apartment and jogged west on 14th street to West Side Highway.  I know the mileage for each major street point. 2 miles to Christopher Street, 2.5 to Spring, 3 to Harrison. 

By the time I reached West Side Highway, I felt slightly fatigued and all the minute muscles and tendons of my knees and hips were protesting.  I knew I had to make it to Christopher Street, so I could meet 4 miles roundtrip.  20 Minutes in, approaching Christopher, my body started to loosen up and I felt better and better.  I kept going, making it all the way to the edge of the Financial District at Harrison.  I turned around and ran all the way back home, making it my first 6 mile run since beginning training in late March, early April.  AND IT WAS GLORIOUS.

I took Sunday off due to a rigorous soccer-watching schedule, but was back in action on Monday.  I repeated the same run from Saturday, but took a slight shortcut past The Standard beergarden and watched glamorous people drinking on a Monday night.

Tuesday, a rare day I felt pessimistic and lethargic, I didn't run, so Wednesday, June 30, really had to count.  I went for an up-tempo 30 minute run by my apartment and then to yoga: Power Vinyasa at Yoga to the People on St. Mark's. I felt so relaxed afterwords.

I went home for the holiday weekend and executed a most holistic run in the PA countryside.  On the 4th, my father drove me 5.25 miles from home and dropped me smack in the rolling hills of Unionville.  The first quarter mile of my run (which began at 8:00PM), was down a plunging hill and up a gradual, but long incline.  I was panting and hurting badly; as I reached the pinnacle of the climb, I looked up to see my father waiting in our Jeep... dangling the water bottle which I had refused to carry.  I was so thankful he didn't head back to our home, as I had insisted.  For the next 5 miles, he drove ahead and waited for me, offering water and motivation at each check-point.  My legs finally loosened up about 3.5 miles into the run, and I sprinted the final 1/3 mile home.  The dizzying adrenaline from sprinting felt exhilarating.  I think I may add some high tempo pieces into my future workouts.

Now cracking into July, I need to up my mileage.  June's weekly mileage averaged in the mid-teens, but I need to break into the mid-twenties for the next few weeks. 

This past week was rough.  Tuesday's run with Team in Training was absolutely draining.  The temperature at noon was 100+ degrees; the park had cooled down nominally by 7:00PM.  I ran two lower loops (Central Park, 1.7 mi per loop), focusing on switching between Effort Level 1 (steady state/slow jog/easy to talk) and Effort Level 2 (more pressure, long run pace).  The heat kindly emphasized the switch between paces; I immediately felt out of breathe when I sped up.

Wednesday, July 7, I joined a strength training workout at work with a personal trainer (a colleague was on vacation and offered me her spot).  I found out I can barely do a handful of push-ups and CANNOT DO A SIT-UP.  Yikes.  Time for some serious ab work.

My roommate Lauren, my marathon accomplice and roommate, brought me as a guest to her gym on Thursday.  We woke up at 5:45AM to go before the workday.  I ran a slower pace on the treadmill than I usually do outside (usually run at 10:30/mi, but averaged 11/mi), but kept it up for 5 mi / 55 min before I had to stretch and shower for work.  I hate the way my mind can't wander when I'm on a machine.  I never ever wear headphones outside while running, so having my iPod on shuffle and watching Joan Rivers sell hairspray that disguises baldness was interesting.

Running in Unionville

For Father's Day, I traveled home to Pennsylvania.  Along with a bottomless bread basket (CARBS) and a wing of the house to myself, I also enjoyed running on the softer country road.  From my house, I ran into a nearby town and back... It was not the most scenic outing, but being alone on the road felt... pioneeresque! One is never alone in NY, always exposed and always surrounded.  Plus, tasting wheat and pollen instead of dust or stale seaweed (West Side Highway, though I love that taste) was refreshing.

Today's team run in Central Park was all about arm technique and maximizing lower arm swings.  We ran two lower loops of the park (1.7mi x2) and then it started to rain... to POUR. Lauren and I walked blissfully through the rain, wishing we were hidden away in one of the groves!

Marathon: Oh. My. (re: Fight Cancer with Tara)

HEY. this is my culture blog, but I am expanding it to incorporate my most recent pastime: training for the 2010 ING NYC Marathon! (AHHHHH.)  I am running with Team in Training benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which hits close to home for reasons I will explain in the future. 

HOLY COW. Training started June 3, and now I can't believe I'm two weeks into it! I truly started training on my own in early April, then got in the groove of running, then went to Italy for two weeks (a magnificent break from exercise!), and came back full-throttle after Memorial Day.  I've been training at 11 minute mile pace (my current goal for the marathon), running 3-4 miles 3-4 times per week.

This past Wednesday, I ran the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge (3.5mi) with the Foundation.  It was wonderful to be running in CENTRAL PARK! with my co-workers, and feeling the pressure of a real race.  My time was WAY faster than I've been training and it felt great to push myself. 

Today, oh man, I tried Bikram Yoga for the first time at Yoga to the People. It was exhausting... and as my roommate Lauren said, it feels like a religious experience.  The class was 90 minutes and temperature was above 105 degrees. I'm not used to Yoga, much less a class packed with 50 people, all sweating bullets. I didn't even know my shins could sweat?!?!?

I felt like a new person afterwards and can't wait to see how I feel tomorrow... hopefully completely relaxed and all stretched out for the weekend.

Finally: my Team in Training website!